Proportioner



Oct. 10, 1933. E. E. JONES ET AL 1,929,693

I PROPORTIONER Filed July 13, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 3/ ZZZ ef0il8 22 J 1;. may;

Zhmentors BB I Clttornegs Oct. 10, 1933. E. E. JONES ET AL 1,929,693

PROPORTIONER Filed July 13, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ZZZ. zfarzes 5/, .Z Zmventors attorneys Oct. 10, 1933. E. E. JONES ET AL 1,929,693

PBOPORTIONER Filed July 13, 1952 :s Sheets-Sheet 3 attorneys.

Patented Oct. 10, 1933 UNITED TATES PArE rol-"F E PRoPoRTIoNE-R" Emory E. Jones and Jesse L. Knight, Bluefield, W. Va.', assignors to Winding Gulf Gollieries,

, Application July 13, 1932.. Serial No. 622,360

i Claims. (CL, 221-96) There are several steps in the process of manufacturing coal briquettes, each step depending somewhat upon another. Generally stated, two materials must be dealt with, namely the raw 5 coal and the binder.

The raw coal must go through the process of being stored in either piles or bins, next the coal is dried, then crushed, then mixed with the binder, then pressed, andfinally, the briquetted product is loaded for shipment. Usually, the binder is pumped from tank cars to storage tanks, and

from the storage tanks, the binder is pumped, or

quettes can be made, it is'necessary that the.

coal and binder be accurately proportioned. I Apparently,kthis is asimple ,matter', yet heretofore ithas been almost impossibleto accomplish this step to a degree of, perfection necessary to make' a briquette of predetermined and binder. I

The difiiculty is due, chiefly, to the inability so to regulate the flow of coal that the stream is constant.- As"an example, say that the coal-may flow at the rate of fifteen tons per 'hour'ior a minute or so, thenflow at a rate of twelve tons per'hour for several minutes, and then change again, possibly, to eighteen tons per hour, for a .short interval. In other words, the stream of coal is far from constant. At the same time, it will be found that the stream of binder is varying also, and the mixture of coal and binder is not of a properly" proportioned character. The result is a briquette varying in binder content proportions of coal few minutes. 5

In order that the proportion of binder and coal' may'b uniform and constant, some briquette manufacturers have'installed batch mixers, that is, a tank'is provided, in which so many tons of coal are placed, the coal being carefully weighed." To the weighed 'coal is added'a measured amount of binder.- 'Of course, the

tinuous flow of coal and binder, and necessarily causes a variation in temperature, as well as making the process intermittent.

The proportioning machine formingthe subject matter of this application is so designed properly timed operation.

as much as four percent, or even more, this variation happening within a period of possiblyaf operationof a, batch'mixer interruptsthe conthat the coal flows into an oscillating measuring receptacle, which swings from side to. side, in consonance with the amountfof coal or other material which is flowing. 'The measuring r'eceptacle moves in exact relation to the flow of coal, one side of the measuring receptacle overbalancingthe other side, as the coal accumulates in the measuring receptacle. The measuring re.- ceptacle is attached'to a pump, especially designed to handle the binder, and the pump dis- 63 charges into the stream of coal, .a measured amount of liquid binder, which is proportioned automatically to the amount of coal flowing at a g-iveninstant. The result of this operation is that a small amount of coal is segregated, and 76 to the segregated charge of ,coal, a measured amount of binder is added, an automatic batchweighing and measuringoperation resulting.

In addition to the foregoing object,- generally stated, the invention-aims to improve the con- I it struction of the oscillating measuring receptacle,

[to improve the construction of the pump, and to provide novel and improved means for coupling these two devices together for synchronous and It is within the province of the disclosure to improve generally and to enhance the utility of devices of that type to which the invention appertains. I

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as the description-proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that, changes in the precise 96 embodiment offthe invention herein disclosed, may be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from. the spirit of the inven tion.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 shows, in vertical longitudinal section, a device constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is avertical transversesection taken on the line 2-2 of Fig.1; 100

Fig. 3 is a .verticaltransverse on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line 44 of Fig. 1; i

section taken Fig. 51s a vertical-transverse section on the 165 'the invention. Supported on the frame 1 is a tank 2, surmounted by a removable lid 3. A partition 4 extends vertically across the tank 2, near to the inner end thereof, and divides the tank into a storage compartment 5 and a delivery compartment 6, the storage compartment being considerably larger than the delivery compartment.

On the ends of the tank 2, there are bearings '7, in which is journaled a hollow shaft 8, extended through the tank 2, and for purposes of convenient identification, the shaft 8 may be referred to as a first shaft. A heating pipe 9, which may be for the conduction of steam, is located on the outside of the tank 2, the pipe 9 being coupled to the outer end of the hollow shaft 8 through the instrumentality of a connection 10, the construction of which is such that, although the pipe 9 is fixed, the shaft 8 can turn in the bearings 7. As shown at 11 in Fig. 1, the inner end of the shaft 8 is open, to provide an exit for the steam or other heating medium.

An elongated tubular container 12 for the binder is provided, and is secured to the shaft 8, within the tank 2. The container 12 has a plurality of outstanding, tubular, measuring arms 14, which communicate at their inner ends with the container 12. As shown at 15 in Fig. 5, the intake ends 15 of the measuring arms 14 are spaced apart, circumferentially of the container 12, so that as the container is rotated with the shaft 8, the measuring arms 14, one after another, will dip into the binder or other liquid 17 in the storage compartment 5 of the tank 2 and discharge the liquid into the container 12. The measured quantities of liquid thus dished up into the container 12, by the arms 14, finds an exit into the delivery compartment 6 through openings 16 in the inner end of the container 12, the container projecting a little way through the partition 4 as Fig. 1 will show. The level of the liquid 17 in the storage compartment 5 of the tank 2 is kept constant by a vertical overflow pipe 18, extended upwardly through the bottom of the tank 2, as shown in Fig. 5. Any suitable means maybe supplied for keeping .the binder 17 hot in the storage compartment 5. For instance, a steam coil 19 may be mounted in the compartment 5, the ends 20 of the steam coil extending outwardly of the tank 2, as shown in Fig. 5. The steam enters the pipe 9, flows through the hollow shaft 8 and emerges at the open end 11 of the shaft 8,the binder being kept hot, within the container 12, after the binder has been deposited therein by the action of the arms 14. The binder leaves the delivery compartment 6 through a downwardly extended outlet pipe 21, discharging into a mixer 22, indicated partially but sufficiently in the drawings.

As thus far described, the machine embodies a means for heating the binder, taking up measured quantities of the binder, and discharging the binder into a mixing device.

As to the-handling of the coal, which is combined, in the mixer 22, with the binder that is discharged through the pipe 21, Figs. -1, 2 and 3 show that an elevated hopper 23 is carried by the frame 1, the hopper being closed by aremovable cover 24. At its lower end, the hopper 23 has a reduced outlet 25, in which operates a gate 26, under the control of an operator, and regulatingthe downward flow of the coal through the outlet.

The numeral 27 designates a shaft, conveniently referred to as a second shaft, mounted for rocking movement in bearings 28 on the lower part of the frame 1.

The numeral 29 designates a vertically elongated measuring receptacle which tapers toward its upper and lower ends, the taper toward the lower end being longer and more acute than the taper toward the upper end. The measuring receptacle is secured intermediate its ends, but nearer to its lower end than to its upper end, to the shaft 27 which rocks in the bearings 28. The lower end of the measuring receptacle 29, which receives the coal or other material, is bevelled in opposite directions, as shown at 30, so as to fit against two transversely spaced stops 31 (Fig. 2), carried by the frame 1. The stops 31 are on opposite sides of a hole 32 in the frame 1, through which the measured charges of coal can pass downwardly into the mixer 22.

Within the measuring receptacle 29 is secured a hollow core 33 which extends between the end walls of the measuring receptacle. The sides of the core 33, however, are spaced from the sides of the measuring receptacle 29, to form oppositely disposed, downwardly converging compartments 34 adapted to be closed, one at a time, as the bevelled end portions 30 of the measuring recep tacle 29 come into contact with the stops 31, when the measuring receptacle oscillates back and forth, with the axis of the shaft 27 as a center of oscillation.

Oppositely disposed, outwardly projecting arms 35 are secured to the shaft 27, externally of the measuring receptacle 29 and on that side of the measuring receptacle (Fig. 1) which is adjacent to the tank 2. There are openings 36 in the arms 35, the openings being spaced apart longitudinally of the arms. In any of the openings 36 may be mounted, for adjustment, pivot elements 37, which carry the lower ends of upwardly extended, converging links 38. The upper ends of the links 38 are pivoted at 39 to arms 40, which are mounted to swing relatively to and on the shaft 8 of the binder pump. Spring-pressed pawls 41 are pivoted to the arms 40 and cooperate with ratchet wheels 42, secured to the exposed end of the shaft 8, between the tank 2 and the measuring receptacle 29.

Reverting to the measuring receptacle 29, and noting Fig. 2, it will be observed that the outlet 25 of the hopper 23 extends downwardly into the upper end of the measuring receptacle. The upper part of the core 33 forms an inverted V-shaped deflector 43, and as the measuring receptacle 29 swings back and forth, the coal, proceeding from the outlet 25, is directed by the deflector 43 first into one of the compartments 34, and then into the other compartment.

The steam or other heating fluid passing through the pipe 9 and the hollow shaft 8 heats the binder that is within the container 12, and the steam coil 19 or its equivalent heats the binder that is within the storage compartment 5 of the tank 2. The shaft 8 is rotated (in a way to be described hereinafter), and as the shaft and the container 12are rotated, the measuring arms 14 are carried around in a circle. The measuring arms pick up, successively, predetermined quantities of the binder, from the storage compartment 5 and discharge the binder into the container 12. From the container 12, the binder flows through the openings 16, into the delivery compartment 6, and from the delivery compartment, the binder passes, by way of the outlet pipe 21, into the mixer 22.

The coal in the hopper 23, under the governance into, say, thelefthand compartment 34, that compartmentbeing closed at its lowerend by' the corresponding stop 31. When enough 'coal has beendeposited inthe said compartment34 to over-balance the measuring receptacle 29, the upper end of the measuring receptacle moves to the left, the lower end of the measuring receptacle moves to the right, the selected compartment swings away from the corresponding stop 31, and the charge of coal flows downwardly through the hole 32 into the' mixer 22.

When- -the'measuring receptacle 29 swings as aforesaid, the deflector 43 is carried to the left in Fig. 2, and the coal flows downwardly into the right hand compartment of Fig. 2, the discharging operation being repeated. If it be assumed that the measuring receptacle 29 swings in properly timed relation to the rotation of the shaft 8,

apredetermined amount of binder is discharged by the pipe 21 into the mixer or receiver 22, along with a predetermined amount of coal, flowing downwardly from one of the compartments 34 of the measuring receptacle 29.

The mechanism which connects the measuring a receptacle 29 with the pumping mechanism, for operation in properly timed relation, operates as follows:

As the measuring receptacle oscillates,'the arms 35 on the shaft 2'7 swing up, and down, the links 38 cause the arms 40 to swing'on the shaft 8, the pawls 41 on the arms 40 cooperate with the ratchet wheels 42, and step bystep rotation thereby is imparted to the shaft 8, the ratchet wheels 42 being secured to. the shaft 8. The result is that the pump, embodying the shaft 8, is operated in consonance with the swinging movement of the measuring receptacle, to provide, in

the mixer 22, charges of coal and binder, wherein the proper proportions obtain, a continuous operation resulting. No motor is required for the operation of the device, the potential energy of the coal stored in the hopper 23 serving to actuate all parts of the machine.

The proportions of the coal and binder may be changed .at the will of an operator. done in several ways, either through the instrumentality of the mechanism shown in Fig. 3, or by way of the mechanism shown in Fig. 6.

Referring to Fig. 3, the pivot elements 37 may be moved into any of the openings 36 in the arms 35 on the shaft'27, thereby regulating the throw of the links 38, the arms 40,and the pawls 41, the ratchet wheels 42 being rotated more or less, according to the adjustment made. When an adjustment in the rotation of the ratchet wheel 42 is brought about, a corresponding adjustment is made in the rotation of the shaft 8, the container 12, and the arms 14, and more or less of the binderis dished up out of the storage compartment 5. The operator, therefore, can set the machine so that, for a given charge of 7 coal in the measuringreceptacle 29, there may be more or less of the binder.

The measuring receptacle 29 is mounted for free swinging movement, meaning thereby that it is not at anytime held by latches. If the measuringreceptacle is heldat times by'l'atches, the operation of which depends upon the accumulation of a predetermined amount of material in the compartments 34, the device will prove inoperative, or at least unsatisfactory in opera- This may be tionybecausethe rightamountof material will not be discharged from the compartments, con

side'red relativelyxto' the amount of material discharged through the pipe21 of Fig. 1-. The material tends to hang in the compartments 34, and

if the material hangs in the compartments 34,: in t a device in which latches are used, the amount of material delivered out of the lower ends 'of'the 29 is mounted for the free 'swin'ging movement above defined. That free swinging movement is terminated, in the device forming the subject 'matter of this application, by anabutment means,

represented by the stops 31, and by the parts 3laof the frame, in Fig. 2." The measuring receptacle 29, as it tilts, engages the abutment means and produces a shock which dislodges all of the material in the compartments 34, a proper proportion thus being assured between the material discharged from the compartments 34, and the material discharged through the outlet pipe 21 of Fig. 1. A portion of the aforesaid abutment means, to wit, the stops 31, form closures for the lower ends of the compartments 34 and thereby permit predetermined quantities of material to'accumulate in the compartments.

I Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is: e

1. In a device of the class described, a gravityactuated means for discharging measured quantitles of solid material and mounted for swinging oscillation, a rotary driven means fordischarging measured quantities of liquid into the material discharged from the gravity-actuated means, and mechanism operatively connecting thegravity actuated means with the driven means, and in-- cluding means to transform the oscillatory movement of the gravity-actuated means into a rotary movement, thereby to operate the drivenmeans from and in timed relation to the gravity-actuated means. a

2. In a device of the class described, a receptacle having compartments at its opposite sides, means for mounting the receptacle for tilting movement from the receptacle, said mechanism embodying an arm fixed to the receptacle, a link, means for mounting the link on the arm for adjustment longitudinally of the arm, and a pawl and ratchet mechanism carried by a part of the measuring means, the pawl andratchet mechanism being 1 operatively connected with the link. 3. In a device of the class described, a receptacl havingcompartments on its opposite sides, means for discharging material into the compartments,

alternately, as the receptacle tilts, means for mounting the receptacle for free swinging movement to discharge the material from each compartment when a predetermined quantity of material has accumulated in each compartment, a

measuring device discharging into the material delivered from the compartments, mechanism for operatively connecting the measuringdevice with the receptacle, to actuate the measuring device as the receptacle tilts, and abutment means with which the receptacle engages, as the receptacle 0 tilts, tov terminate the free swinging movement with a shock, thereby preventing material from hanging in the compartments, and thereby maintaining a fixed proportion between the material discharged from the compartments and the material discharged from the measuring device, portions of the abutment means cooperating with the lower end of the receptacle, to form closures for the lower ends of the compartments and thereby permit said predetermined quantities of material to accumulate in the compartments.

4. In a device of the class described, a tank having a partition dividing the tank into a storage compartment and a delivery compartment, a rotary measuring means embodying a hollow shaft journaled in the tank, a tubular container secured atively connecting the gravity-actuated means with the shaft to rotate the said measuring means,

,and means for discharging a heating medium through the shaft, to heat the contents of the container.

EMORY E. JONES. JESSE L. KNIGHT. 

